Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
School Choice & Charters Opinion 'Control Freaks' Are 'Losing Their Grip' on Education
"School choice evangelist" says new laws are a response to unions, bureaucracies, and K-12 ideologues.
Rick Hess
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12 min read
Law & Courts District Can Deny Opt-Outs on LGBTQ+ Books, Court Rules
Religious parents objected to a Maryland district's policy ending opt-outs for elementary school 'storybooks' with LGBTQ+ themes.
Mark Walsh
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5 min read
Law & Courts Brown v. Board of Education: 70 Years of Progress and Challenges
The milestone for the historic 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down racial segregation in schools is marked by a range of tributes
Mark Walsh
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12 min read
School Choice & Charters Private School Choice Continues to Spread. 3 Things to Know
New research shows private schools increase tuition when states send public funds for parents to spend on private education.
Mark Lieberman
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6 min read
Image of private school kids outside in the school yard.
E+
States Is Bipartisan Education Policy Still Possible?
It's still possible to forge cross-party education policy coalitions, advocates said.
Evie Blad
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5 min read
Image of a small U.S. flag in a pencil case.
iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion Does School Choice 'Work'?
Ultimately, the “how” of educational choice may matter more than the “what.”
Rick Hess
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10 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Law & Courts Supreme Court Turns Down Case Challenging School District's Transgender Policies
The case involves a policy allowing information to be withheld from parents considered not supportive of a gender-transitioning child.
Mark Walsh
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3 min read
This Oct. 4, 2018, photo shows the U.S. Supreme Court at sunset in Washington. The Supreme Court has declined to take up an appeal from parents in Oregon who want to prevent transgender students from using locker rooms and bathrooms of the gender with which they identify, rather than their sex assigned at birth.
This Oct. 4, 2018, photo shows the U.S. Supreme Court at sunset in Washington. The court has declined to take up an appeal from parents in Maryland challenging a school district's policy on gender-support plans for students.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

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Thu., May 30, 2024, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Join our newsroom for insights on investing in critical student support positions as pandemic funds expire.
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More Policy & Politics

  • Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus. Four Republican-led states filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Biden administration's new Title IX regulation, which among other things would codify protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus. Four Republican-led states filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Biden administration's new Title IX regulation, which among other things would codify protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Patrick Orsagos/AP
    Law & Courts Republican-Led States Sue to Block New Title IX Rule
    A pair of lawsuits focus on the rule's protections for students' gender identity.
    Mark Walsh, April 29, 2024
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    5 min read
    Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters presides over a special state Board of Education meeting on April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City.
    Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters presides over a state Board of Education meeting about Title IX regulations on April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City. The state is among several whose leaders plan to defy new Biden administration regulations on Title IX, which covers sex discrimination.
    Sue Ogrocki/AP
    States States Direct Districts to Defy New Title IX Rule on Transgender Students
    Some districts could be in a perilous legal squeeze play between their states and the feds.
    Evie Blad, April 26, 2024
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    4 min read
    Photo of superintendent meeting with staff.
    E+ / Getty
    States Superintendent Vacancies Are High. Is Loosening Requirements a Good Idea?
    Wisconsin's governor, a former educator, vetoed a bill that would have waived licensure requirements for district leaders.
    Evie Blad, April 22, 2024
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    3 min read
    Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
    Policy & Politics Opinion Where Do Democrats Stand on Education?
    The politics of education reform have shifted drastically since the Obama era. How has one Democratic education group responded?
    Rick Hess, April 22, 2024
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    7 min read
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday, April19, 2024, by the Biden administration. Notably absent from Biden’s policy, however, is any mention of transgender athletes.
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday, April19, 2024, by the Biden administration. Notably absent from Biden’s policy, however, is any mention of transgender athletes.
    Patrick Orsagos/AP
    Federal New Title IX Rule Has Explicit Ban on Discrimination of LGBTQ+ Students
    The new rule, while long awaited, stops short of addressing the thorny issue of transgender athletes' participation in sports.
    Libby Stanford, April 19, 2024
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    6 min read
    Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building at dusk on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 16, 2022.
    Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building at dusk on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 16, 2022. The high court on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, made it easier for workers, including educators, to sue over job transfers.
    Patrick Semansky/AP
    Law & Courts Why It Will Now Be Easier for Educators to Sue Over Job Transfers
    The case asked whether transferred employees had to show a 'significant' change in job conditions to sue under Title VII. The court said no.
    Mark Walsh, April 17, 2024
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    8 min read
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Resources

School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About the School District Technology Leader?
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As another testing season approaches, a familiar question weighs heavily on our minds: who are these tests serving?
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Mathematics Whitepaper Math Gatherings: A New Approach to Collaborative Math Instruction
Learn how math gatherings provide a collaborative approach to math instruction.
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Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on The Science of Reading in Practice
This Spotlight will help you analyze new curricula designed to build knowledge, review the benefits of reading aloud to students, and more.
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EdWeek Market Brief

Exclusive Data How Are School Districts Spending Their Title I Funding Money?
An EdWeek Market Brief survey asked K-12 officials how they're spending money they receive from the critical federal aid program.
Sean Cavanagh
•
7 min read
Purchasing Alert Georgia District Looks to Conduct Equity Audit; Calif. District to Add After-School Arts Program
A district in Georgia is looking for an equity audit, while a California school system seeks an after-school arts program.
Michelle Caffrey
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2 min read
Analyst's View Do New AI Rollouts by OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft Pose an ‘Existential Threat’ to Education Companies?
GSV Ventures' Claire Zau breaks down what ambitious new AI projects announced by tech titans mean for the K-12 market.
Michelle Caffrey
•
11 min read
Marketplace K-12 IXL Learning Faces Lawsuit Over Claims of Violating Children’s Data Privacy
The company is alleged to have failed to obtain consent for its collection and use of children’s data.
Alexandria Ng
•
3 min read
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